Softball Rides Pitching And Defense To Win Over Lions

Ashley Fernandez connected for a solo homer in the fifth. Photo By UAH Sport Information/Chuck Edgeworth.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.—The Barry Buccaneers rode a masterful performance by Alexis Yohe and some timely hitting and defense to a 2-0 win over the North Alabama Lions in the first round of the NCAA Division II South Region 2 Softball Tournament at UAH Charger Park on Friday.

Yohe (19-7) scattered two hits, two walks and a hit batter to toss her ninth shutout of the season. She struck out four. The Lions, who came into the game with 46 homers as a team, put the ball in play in the air repeatedly, but Yohe was able to keep the ball in the yard and her defense ran down the balls in the outfield.

The Bucs (33-18) struck for a run the second inning. Kelly Martinez continued her hot hitting with a single to right center. Britney Pugh laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Lion pitcher Breanna Riley (18-9), who struggled with fielding all season, threw the ball over the head of second baseman Harlie Barkley, allowing Pugh to advance to second and Martinez all the way to third. Alexis Kent delivered the run with a perfect squeeze bunt and Barry led 1-0.

In the bottom of the inning, UNA mounted its most serious threat. Dani Colwilll doubled to left to lead off and Shelby Goodman drew a four-pitch walk. But Yohe buckled down and struck out Mallory Patterson, got Nicki Whitten to fly out to center and struck out Nikki Hodges to end the threat.

In the third inning with two outs, Yohe clipped Summer Wilkerson with an inside fastball and Callie Steadman blooped a ball into shallow right field with Wilkerson on the move. But Kent raced in and slide under the ball to make a basket catch and preserve the 1-0 lead.

In the fifth, Ashley Fernandez lined a shot over the left-field wall for her fifth homer of the year to give the Bucs a little breathing room at 2-0.

Kent came up with another big catch in the seventh inning. After Goodman led off with a single, Patterson lined a shot into the right center gap, but Kent was there to track it down with an over-the-shoulder catch. Yohe got a ground out then another routine fly ball to Kent to seal the deal.

Riley took the loss for the Lions, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks and struck out 10.

The Bucs face the host Alabama-Huntsville Chargers at 1:00 pm Eastern in the winner’s bracket game. The Chargers (40-15) defeated West Alabama 3-2 in the second game of the day.

Livestats and an audio broadcast will be available on GoBarryBucs.com, through GameCentral powered by Stretch Internet.